Playing at home for the first time in 635 days, the Muhlenberg women's basketball team made the wait worthwhile, coming from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat DeSales, 65-61.

The Bulldogs (0-2) were ranked ninth in the D3hoops.com preseason poll and came in with a record of 59-9 over the past four seasons. They lost their opener by six points at 12th-ranked Scranton in a game that came down to the last two minutes.

DeSales hit a three at the start of the fourth quarter to open up a 51-45 lead. Muhlenberg (2-0) scored eight of the next 10 points, tying the score at 53-all on a three-pointer by freshman Rachel Saxton with 7:19 left.

Neither team led by more than three points the rest of the way until the final five seconds. The Bulldogs led 61-60 with less than two minutes to play when senior Margaux Eripret blocked a shot, grabbed the rebound and went coast-to-coast for a layup that put Muhlenberg ahead for good. 

Senior Mikaela McGarvey made two free throws with 57.8 seconds left to make it 64-61. After the teams traded defensive stops, DeSales came out of a timeout with 17.4 ticks on the clock with a chance to tie the score. But the Mules played outstanding halfcourt defense, forcing an awkward shot. McGarvey clinched the win by hitting a free throw with 4.7 seconds to play.

Junior Sara Peretti had a monster game for the Mules, recording 21 points (one off her career high) and setting career highs in rebounds (12) and blocked shots (5). Peretti (pictured above) had three of her blocks in the fourth quarter alone. Eripret, who finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds, blocked 3 shots.

Saxton finished with 8 points, while senior point guards Tori Dowd and Tara Szawaluk combined for 8 assists. 

DeSales led by as many as 11 points (33-22) midway through the second quarter, but the Mules closed the half on 10-1 run, which featured a pair of baskets each by Peretti and senior Amanda Gorski, to go into the break down by only two.

The Bulldogs turned the tables to close out the third quarter, erasing Muhlenberg's seven-point lead with a 12-2 run.

Muhlenberg's two wins to start the season have come against teams that both won 20 games in 2019-20, the last complete season.